Tarte au Citron Recipe

You can use any pastry for this, but I use a quite floury short crust with no sugar as I think the lemon curd is sweet enough and the pastry can be rolled quite thin. The meringue on the top is also and it is just as delicious without. You can make one large tarte and service slices or mini ones. You will need to work out how much pastry and lemon meringue you need through trial and error!

Makes approx 10 x 10cm diameter tartes

For the pastry

200g flour 

90 g salted butter (or add a little salt)

Dash of cold water

Lemon Curd - see recipe here

Meringue (optional)

2 egg whites

100g caster sugar

Make the pastry by crumbing the flour and butter and then adding enough water to make it just come together. Don't kneed or work the pastry. Rest the pastry in the fridge for 30 mins (or more)

For this recipe you want quite a runny meringue. Beat the eggs until they are a bit stiff but not yet standing in peaks. Add half the sugar and beat a little more, again you don't want peaks just a creamy white mixture. Add the rest of th sugar and stir in with a spoon.

Divide the pastry in to 10 pieces and roll each one out to slightly larger than one of your tins. It should be very thin, 2mm perhaps and it should not crumble (if they do use slightly more water next time), you should be able to pick the pieces up and place them in the tin. Press the pastry well in to the tin and trim the excess.

Fill half full with lemon curd (a bit fuller if you aren't using meringue, the curd expands as it heats) and carefully spead a little meringue on top, it should be a thing layer just covering all the surface.

Cook at 160C until e top of the meringue is brown - of if not using the meringue until the curd is slightly set but still wobby - 20 to 30 mins.

If not using meringue top with a sprinkle of caster or icing sugar.